{Shayna}
{Jeannie}
You both have my best wishes.
Shayna - give yourself permission to be irritable and feel bad. The cigarettes were damaging your body AND anesthetizing your body so you wouldn’t feel the pain. While your gut reaction is to make the pain go away, accept it as part of the healing process. If you want to bitch at someone, put it here or email me. I’ve heard that throwing ice is a good way of working off negative feelings as well.
I am happy that I have been able to help some people, and you folks have all gone a long way towards helping me as well!
Keep those meter going!
I am pretty much over the major cravings. I expect to have them in spurts for a tear or more, but I simply will think of everyone here, the money and life I’m saving and of course the happiness I will have with Drainy to get through them.
Oh, but I am up to two packs of toothpicks a day! Damn splinters! 
Yer pal,
Satan
http://homepages.go.com/~cmcinternationalrecords/devil.gif
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
Three weeks, one day, 23 hours, 42 minutes and 10 seconds.
919 cigarettes not smoked, saving $114.94.
Life saved: 3 days, 4 hours, 35 minutes.
Wow. Almost 24 hours now.
Please tell me that it gets better each day.
I have to keep telling myself that I am doing the right thing. I will be glad that I’m doing this.
Are headaches normal?
Not to get off the subject, but it just occurred to me: One of the girls at work seemed a little too happy when I said that I had quit. I think she thinks I’m pregnant. Or trying.
Oh, one more slightly off-topic thing: I was telling my husband about the meter I’m using. He was asking if it helps to see how much I’ve done so far. I said that it’s more that I am looking at others for inspiration. I said, “I really wanna be like Satan.” He almost spit soda out his nose.
Okay, stay strong you guys. I will see you tomorrow afternoon.
Once more before I head off to bed:
I have been smoke free for: 23 hours, 51 minutes and 15 seconds.
14 cigarettes not smoked,
Money saved: $2.98.
Life saved: 1 hour, 10 minutes.
Sorry it took me so long to get here! Had a minor computer problem today. Grrrr.
Congrats, Shayna & Jeannie & everyone else!!! The more I read, the more inspired I get. Soon, I’m telling ya, soon.
Due to circumstances beyond my control, ( well not really, that’s just an excuse) I smoked today. Tomorrow is my first smoke free day. I’ll be downloading the meter tonight, and joining you tomorrow on this thread.
Hi Jeannie, Cristi, weirddave, everybody.
I’m in a foul mood. I feel like kicking my cat. (Not that I EVER would, but that gives you an idea how I feel).
Jeannie - yes, headaches are to be expected. I’ve had one all afternoon too.
I’m miserable. I’m angry. I want a cigarette, dammit! I’m ready to cry.
zyada, you are such a sweetie. At whom or what should I be throwing this ice? Actually, what I think would be more rewarding would be crushing ice. I want to crush something.
Cristi and dave, I hope this doesn’t discourage you. We all knew this was going to be hard. I’m still hanging in there in spite of how miserable I am. One day at a time. I made it through today. I’ll make it through tomorrow. We can all do this - I know we can!
I’ve been smoke free for 20 hours, 38 minutes and 6 seconds.
10 cigarettes not smoked
Money saved: $1.60.
Life saved: 50 minutes.
You all are doing great. The first day is really hard. It takes a little while but I promise it gets easier.
Shayna - Brick walls - makes a nice crashing sound like breaking glass, but you don’t have to clean it up afterwards (if you do it outside, hmmm, the neighbors might look at you funny)
Maybe some primal scream therapy? :eek:
Shayna, all those moods are normal. The last time I tried to quit, I went through the same things. The irritability was the hardest one to deal with. I wanted to kick my cat, too. And my husband. And my mom. And all my friends & everyone that was so happy for me. Because they were happy. It was awful.
If you’d like some inspiration, I strongly suggest you go to the Pit, and read Sentinel’s rant against non-smokers, and most of the rest of the world. It’ll make you be proud to be a non-smoker, just so you can honk off someone with that kind of attitude. 
Rah! Rah! Rah!
you guys are doing great… each day a new triumph!
This thread makes me feel better also. I’m just trying to diet and while I joke about being addicted to pasta and caffeine, I know that what you guys are doing is much, much harder.
I have faith that you guys can do this. Just keep thinking about how much better everything is going to taste and smell.
Think about how much money you can save.
Think about how much longer you will be around to keep posting on the board!!
Shayna:
I just wanted to offer you some early morning words of encouragement. YOU CAN DO IT! Go take a walk this morning, go for a run, or go throw rocks in the water. Go do anything except smoke.
In 2 weeks you’ll feel empowered and in control again.
Eissclam
What the hell? I’m in. I haven’t been smoking that long, I started last October when my girlfriend and I were having “problems” and have been smoking around three quarters of a pack a day since then. The problem is, whenever I get nervous or worried or have any kind of negative emotion, the first idea I get in my head is to light up. It’s become a substitute for coping with things I guess. I just set up the little meter now.
Hello all!
Just want to tell you that you guys and gals should all be proud to finally call yourselves “former smokers”.
I’ve done this before, and I can tell you that it gets easier with each passing day. Before you know it, you’ll have racked up a week on your meter, and then a month.
It’s been just over three weeks for me, and I can’t believe how much better I feel already. I can play a game of one-on one with my son without feeling like I’m gonna die. My taste and smell are returning (especially smell-I can smell you smokers a MILE AWAY!)
Sure I still get cravings. Nothing like the first couple of days, though.
Hang in there, Dopers. You can do it. I know you can.
It’s time for a progress report, people.
Shayna, Cristi, Jeannie and the rest, how’s it going?
You guys are really incredible!
I’m glad I stopped in to read the new messages here. I am so ready to go buy a pack of cigarettes. I am not doing well today.
I’m totally on edge, frustrated, angry and I haven’t been able to stop crying all morning.
But because of all your encouraging words of support, for at least the next hour I promise not to smoke.
It’s been One day, 11 hours, 46 minutes and 0 seconds since my last cigarette.
17 cigarettes not smoked
Money saved: $2.77.
Life saved: 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Shayna, right about now, the “other Shayna” is going to start talking to you. Here’s what she’ll say:
Maybe this isn’t the right time. This isn’t getting any easier. In fact, it’s getting harder. I’m tired of fighting it. The hell with it, I’m going to have a smoke. It’ll get me over this rough spot and I’ll pick up where I left off. Aw, the hell with it. What I’ll do is cut down, then when I do quit, it’ll be easier. Anyway, there’s too much in my life going on now…
Don’t listen to her, Shayna. You’ve gone this far. It will get easier, I promise.
One hour is too short. Promise me you won’t smoke today.
Stay strong.
Oh, thanks a whole hell of a lot, Wally. I guess me, the Professor and Mary Anne will be over here griping about our lack of recognition.
Sorry guys, I knew there were others, but I forgot who.
I’m pulling for all of you. I went through this more than ten years ago and believe me, it was tough. But it was do-able.
And you guys can do it too.
I hate this. I am having a really hard time. I want a cigarette so badly, you have no idea. And my head hurts so much. Is it normal for me to still have a headache? And it isn’t just the top of my head. My cheeks hurt.
I keep telling myself that if I just have a few puffs, the pain will stop, and I can quit later. Then the other part of me says that if I smoke now, it will be harder when I try to quit later.
Why does it have to be so bad?
And you know what else I hate? Non-smokers who act so high and mighty. I say I’m quitting and that I’m having a rough day, and they get into this attitude of, “Well, you shouldn’t have started in the first place.”
I hate those people. I want to smoke just to piss them off.
But I won’t.
Here’s my meter now:
I have been smoke free for: One day, 18 hours, 33 minutes and 35 seconds.
26 cigarettes not smoked,
Money saved: $5.32.
Life saved: 2 hours, 10 minutes.